Candy Corn, that’s right, let’s talk about it.
The sweet treat that divides the nation remains a mystery to the masses. Today, we’re going to tackle a few questions and figure out what candy corn is, how it’s created, and most importantly – where it goes after Halloween.
Candy Corn Ingredients
Candy corn has four main ingredients:
- A “slurry” (as they call it) is similar to a buttercream. This is created with vanilla and sugars.
- Food coloring is used to individually color each layer with yellow and red dyes.
- The surprise ingredient – (and my personal favorite) marshmallow! Marshmallows are broken down into the slurry to create the light and fluffy texture of the candy corn itself.
- Lastly, the confectioner’s glaze. This is made of honey, gelatin, sesame oil, sugar and salt.
The Process
The slurry is taken from a large industrial mixer and placed into three different containers; each container holds a designated layer of the candy corn: yellow, orange, and white. This container continues to mix the solution so that the slurry maintains the same consistency.
Wooden trays are dusted with dry cornstarch and then loaded onto the belt where each layer then fills the candy corn imprints. Due to the liquid nature of the material, there is no wait time in-between. Each layer is immediately placed on top of the other to dry.
Each wooden tray holds 1300 corn pieces, and the machinery can produce 25 boards per minute!
Once this process is complete and the candy corn is fully formed, they’re tossed into a rotating bin. In this rotating bin, technicians then toss the confectioner’s glaze onto the candy corn pieces until they’re evenly coated. The drying and coating process can take 4-5 days to complete.
Alright, so where does it go?
Whether you love candy corn and are eager to find it year-round, or you can’t wait for candy corn to leave the shelves, you must wonder where the leftovers go.
Last year, 35 million pounds of candy corn was produced across the United States. Only 70% of all candy corn is effectively sold before Halloween. Where does it all go then?
We did some digging.
Despite popular belief, “the trash” isn’t the main answer.
In fact, the answer may surprise you.
Once Halloween concludes, candy corn sales resume. The day after Halloween, candy corn is wiped from the shelves for highly discounted prices, and resellers will snatch up the leftovers.
Candy corn stays fresh, if unopened, for around nine months! In fact, you can find candy corn year-round with online retailers like Amazon.
Well, there you have it! This sweet treat has many layers – from its creation in the 1880s to mimic corn kernels for industrial times, to secret ingredients like marshmallows folded in to guarantee its shape. While candy corn is consumed by many year-round, Halloween is simply the best time to grab them in-store!
